On Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010 Secretary of State Clinton congratulated Nigeria on 50 years of independence.

"Nigeria and the United States share a close partnership, which is reflected in the U.S-Nigeria Binational Commission that we launched this year. Through the Commission, our countries have deepened our cooperation on many issues, including good governance and transparency, energy, regional security, and advancing peace and development in the Niger Delta. Working together, we can achieve even greater progress.” The Secretary also lauded the Nigerian military as peacekeepers that have helped stabilize the region.

Sadly, those living in oil producing communities of the Niger Delta haven’t seen much evidence of development—with most continuing to live on less than $1 a day and without access to electricity, clean drinking water, education or employment. And tragically, the “peacekeeping forces” she refers to in speaking of the Nigerian military destroyed village after village, killing and wounding innocent civilians, flattening whole communities in the oil producing Gbaramatu region of the Niger Delta between May and August 2009. These are communities in the vicinity of Shell and Chevron operations. Up to 20,000 people were internally displaced as a result of the operations that were carried out in the guise of rooting out militants. To date they have received no assistance despite having lost everything. Click here to see the destruction.

On the heels of this government violence against its own people, in mid-August 2009, while Secretary Clinton was in Nigeria meeting with the President and the Foreign Minister she pledged to explore providing additional military assistance to Nigeria.

Sign JINN’s letter below to send a message demanding that Secretary Clinton and the Obama administration rethink the U.S. role in bringing peace to the Niger Delta. Support diplomatic negotiations, not military assistance.

Nigeria is the one of the largest producers of oil in Africa, and is an important strategic partner for the U.S. – Nigeria exports 40% of its crude oil to the U.S., is Africa’s most populous country, and as noted by Clinton has played a key role in maintaining regional security in West Africa, ensuring that U.S. troops aren’t needed on the ground.

During her 2009 visit to Nigeria, Secretary Clinton rightly highlighted the importance of electoral reform, the need for transparency and the concern regarding widespread corruption, however her comments indicating the U.S. would explore military assistance for Nigeria is not the right approach to supporting Nigeria in resolving the crisis in the oil producing Niger Delta.  Residents of the Niger Delta have struggled for decades to demand their share of the oil wealth which makes up 80 percent of the Nigerian government’s revenues. Since oil was discovered in the late 1950’s the region has become poorer. In addition, the people have suffered mass human rights violations at the hand of the Nigerian military (sometimes at the behest of U.S. oil companies) when they have spoken up to demand jobs and an end to the environmental destruction by the oil companies including oil spills, water contamination and gas flares that burn 24 hours a day 7 days a week contributing to respiratory illnesses, cancer and significant Co2 emissions. Civil society groups and armed political militant groups alike have called for diplomatic negotiations as the way toward peace. They seek a say in their own governance and a genuine investment in the development of the Niger Delta. Ask Secretary Clinton to support diplomatic negotiations. Sign the letter below.

For more information about the crisis in the Niger Delta go to: http://www.justiceinnigerianow.org